Free State update

Hi all.

We been to some more places today and saw plenty of trains.

We left Welkom this morning and saw one of RRL's new locos on an ore train heading for the exchange yard at the old showgrounds.

From there it was on to Wesselsbron, only a NAY hopper used as the runner for Omnia's liquid fertilizer was standing in the station. As we were leaving we heard the hooter of a diesel, so we hurried to the level crossing, orange 34 047 & 34 048 came thundering past with a 50-truck air braked block-load of mielies heading to Kroonstad. We chased after her and caught her a couple of times before turning around at Losdorings, the crew giving us a friendly wave. This was quite a sight as the two diesels hammered up grade towards and past us, flanges screaming on the curve...

Then we headed for Bultfontein, nothing at all was in the station or at the silos.

From there we headed to Soutpan (old RMS from Bloemfontein) and onto Brandfort on a very bad gravel road.

Arrival at Brandfort revealed the Southbound pick-up standing looped in the station behind SAR maroon E 1512 and Spoornet orange E 1522. The assistant was fast asleep on the footplate. Brandfort is still open and manned. The track gang were riding the rails in an Isuzu truck. It seems as if there was an occupation as the train was waiting for a Northbound goods to pass. The entire line (both up and down) has new ballast from here to Virginia. The old station building has been demolished and the JCB tractor was still standing there. Only the tall palm trees are a reminder of what once was. An old water tank and the goods shed still stands. The track look nice and shiny. An ancient yellow road sign "3 Lines stop" with marbles as reflectors, guards the level crossing in the yard. The station has the Shosholoza Meyl palisade fence around it and the two name boards are now attached to the fence on the platform.

Next stop was at Houtenbeck. This little station has been destroyed - but not as bad as others we've come across. The re-lay room seems to be used as housing as is the old signal cabin. We think it is because of this that the cabin still looks fairly neat with the stripped mini-panel and telephones still on the walls. We even found the train register still lying open next to the panel at the phone. The last inscription being 2002-02-25 "Klamp alle wissels vir die hooflyn". The goods shed is no more as is the line next to the old goods platform. The old watering place is completely overgrown, with almost all the wooden sleepers stolen. We were wandering around when the Northbound goods headed through behind orange E 1482, SAR maroon E???? still with number plates and orange E1719. This consisted of rail wagons, cement tankers, empty container trucks and petrol tankers - probably the Northbound pick-up. Here we picked up an ancient "Bulldog" clip still marked SAR&H - Made in England. We also found the "Authority Register: Passing Signals At Danger" book in the cabin, last inscription 2001-06-11. Also found a "brand new" unused Spoornet train register lying on the panel.

The road is being upgraded between Brandfort and Theunissen with "Stop - Go" control. Luckily we know the Railway service roads and headed along them to Welgelee. We caught up with the Northbound pick-up again just before Welgelee. While we were waiting for this train, we heard the sound of a 34 class shunting at the station, drifting across the veld. Soon we were heading for Welgelee. Here we found orange 34 030 & blue 34 409 standing looped for the passage of the electric hauled goods. After she sped past the diesels continued shunting the maize traffic at the silos with plenty of bangs and clangs.

We've been invited to footplate on the mine system with Sheltam this coming Saturday.

Branch and Mainline greetings.
John & Jacque.